Visit Sarasota County Continues Award-Winning Momentum with Honors from Smart Meetings

SARASOTA, Fla. – (July 8, 2026) – Visit Sarasota County has been recognized by Smart Meetings, a leading voice in the event planning industry, as a 2026 Smart Stars Award winner in two categories: Best Waterfront CVB/DMO and Best Beach CVB/DMO. This comes just months after the tourism bureau received the Platinum Choice Award Winner by Smart Meetings in December 2025.  

The annual Smart Stars Awards celebrate the hospitality industry's top-performing destinations, venues, hotels, airlines, cruise lines, and suppliers in 41 total categories. As selected by the Smart Meetings community of meeting professionals, winners are determined through nominations, voting, and firsthand experiences shared by planners across the meetings and events industry. 

"The dual recognition reflects Sarasota County's unique position as a destination that combines world-class meeting facilities with coastal experiences,” said Erin Duggan, President and CEO of Visit Sarasota County. “The awards underscore our commitment to not settle for standard, to ensure every event agenda is more inspired, and to connect meeting planners and attendees to partners who go beyond business as usual to deliver an experience that can only be found on Florida’s Cultural Coast®."   

In announcing the 2026 honorees, Smart Meetings Vice President and Content Director JT Long described the winners as "the best of the best," representing trusted partners that help planners elevate experiences and deliver successful events above and beyond expectations. 

For more information about Visit Sarasota County’s meetings and events efforts, visit https://www.visitsarasota.com/meetings-weddings-sarasota-fl. 

About Visit Sarasota County 
Visit Sarasota County (VSC) is the official tourism marketing entity and primary provider of visitor information for Sarasota County where tourism is the top industry. Through programs and partnerships, VSC makes Sarasota County a better place by promoting our community on the world stage. These efforts bring together over 450 partners to keep visitors coming, local businesses open and residents employed all year. VSC is accredited by the Destination Marketing Accreditation Program, a program of the Destination Management Association International (DMAI). To learn more, visit www.visitsarasota.com.